Tri lured me to Facebook

Over the weekend I succumbed to joining the popular networking site facebook. Why? (I keep asking myself whether or not I have the time to maintain yet another thing amongst my blogs and sites.) I had good reason. My friend Tri emailed me a link to his facebook page with some new photos. Now, they're not just some random snapshots, he's a great photographer photographing Buddhism in Asia. Tri moved to Singapore about a year ago and I dearly wanted to see what he'd been up to. Here are two photos, one from Vietnam and one from his transexual series.




copyright Tri Luu

Thanks Tri!

What about the dams?

My mother called her sister in Wuhan last night to see if they were affected by the earthquake in Sichuan, China. My aunt and her family felt the quake and are fine. While thinking about them this morning, I started wondering if the Three Gorges Dam was ok. They live 4 hours down river from the largest dam in the world, in a metropolitan city that's along the Yangtze. This NYTimes article made me feel a bit better but I'm still uneasy about all of those affected by the quake.

(photo that I took in 2006 of the Three Gorges Dam)

Devastation

My thoughts are with those in Myanmar suffering the devastation of the cyclone that hit on Saturday. This NYTimes article sums up the situation pretty well. I hope that this tragic event will eventually bring about a dialogue for diplomacy and change in a country whose government has been hostile to other governments and to its own people.

(photo from NYTimes)

The Kitchen

So I've been clicking onto AT's The Kitchen more and more these days, which explains my sudden rush to want to make good food, not just eat it. I found this beautiful version of the Spring Roll, with spicy peanut sauce. I'm ready for more.

Peter Bialobrzeski

I just came across the work of Peter Bialobrzeski, through Amazon of all places. His palette is quite different and I'm curious to see the work in person. I found an interview with J. Colberg on Conscientious that touches on Bialobrzeski's views of German photography. I'm also quite smitten by the title Neon Tigers that is his project of "color photographs taken inside the "Tiger Cities," the name given to Asia's rapidly growing metropolises: Hong Kong, Bangkok, Shanghai, and Kuala Lumpur."

(image from Peter Bialobrzeski's site)

Daniel Traub

I read about Daniel Traub over at Conscientious a couple of weeks ago. I've been thinking about making a longer trip to Asia this winter to start a new project I've had in mind for some years now so looking at these images are encouraging.

(photos from Daniel Traub's site)

Quest for the Lost Civilization

I just finished watching Graham Hancock's 1998 three part TV series "Quest for the Lost Civilization." He sets out to prove that ancient civilazations such as the Great pyramids at Giza, Angkor Wat, Stonehenge, Teotihuacan, the Nazca lines, and Easter Island are linked by astronomy to an even older, lost civilization which may be that of one underwater in Yonaguni, Japan. It's quite interesting, I don't think there is enough evidence to support his theory but the idea that these civilizations might all be linked is nice. I hope to visit them all someday. The photos were taken during a trip to Cambodia last year- the first is Angkor Thom and the second is Angkor Wat from a hot air balloon.

Craving Asia

It's been more than two years since I've been back to Taiwan, where I spent my childhood years. I got an email from my cousin this morning with photos of his one year old boy that I have yet to meet. The images made me feel the need to go back and share in their lives. Thinking about Taiwan made me think of all the places in Asia that I love and all the foods I miss. The above photo was the last bowl of beef noodles I had from my home town in Taiwan. It's always the first thing I eat when I get off the plane, after an 18 hour flight. It's home.

Here are some articles from the NYtimes that I've been hoarding about Asia, ready to inspire:
Shopping, dim sum, and a must see- the mid-levels escalator system in Hong Kong. Eating dumplings in Beijing. Street food in Bangkok.